Justine Bouchard
When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle. Born years prior to the fall of Lordaeron, Justine remembers well the chaos of the Third War; the fear, the uncertainty. The calamity and death. Having survived -- even thrived from -- these horrors endured, a once-innocent child has since flourished into a woman of little patience and zero tolerance for anything beyond perfection of morality. Philosophy To her mind, meddling with magic of any kind (beyond that of the Light), and being associated with said occult, is the cause of all the world's strife. Mages, warlocks, death knights, even druids... None are granted sanction, and she hunts all with a zealous fanaticism that is terrifying to behold. Forsaken especially nurture the burning flame that is her anger, her retribution. Appearance Justine is statuesque in appearance, with dark green eyes that burn with unnerving fervor. She has long, thick hair tinted strawberry blonde in colour. Her expression is sorrowful and stern, having the look of a martyr, with the left side of her face covered in old burn scars that extend down her neck and presumably her arm and torso also. She speaks in full confident tones, and is often regarded as being abrupt and commanding; everyone's obedience taken for granted when she gives a suggestion. History Early Life WIP Events of the Third War At the time of the plague, Justine was well on her way to becoming a fully fledged Knight of the Silver Hand, her squireship nearly complete with the exception of a single trial largely forgotten in the chaos of the Third War; this trial was to be a demonstration of her Tenacity, which finally was called into completion after she joined with the Scarlet Crusade and proved her mettle in combat. She did not go willingly into the Crusade, but was cajoled by her mentor, a Silver Hand member himself who found the rug pulled out from under his feet after the decimation and near disbandment of the Silver Hand. Though the Crusade founders did not have the most sane or noble of intentions, their primary goal to free Lordaeron of the Scourge was largely appealing at a time when emotions ran high, and Justine soon found herself grateful to the Crusade for empowering her with weapon and skill to exact revenge upon those who had earlier in the war slaughtered her own family. Indoctrinated over the years, and hardened by the atrocities committed by both Scourge, Damned, and Forsaken, Justine remained a willing and loyal member of the Crusade, so blinded by zeal that she overlooked the news of Renault's betrayal, chalking it up to paranoia -- a disease of the mind that infected a large majority of the Crusade, thanks in part to Isillien. While members of the Crusade fled after news of Mograine's son and the Argent Dawn was formed, Justine remained until such a time that the Crusade was largely disbanded, its members scattered and its cause taken up elsewhere. The Argent Dawn was a tempting prospect, but their neutrality (in accepting Forsaken, among other races) convinced her that the Argents were fools who had so quickly forgotten the atrocities of the past, and she became angry at those former Crusade members who abandoned their beliefs. She remained apart from any single faction or organisation, intent on carrying forward the ideals of the Crusade. She chose to join with those few Scarlet remnants that still survived, until a new (albeit very small) sect was formed again. It was with them she served until the events of Cassius, at which point the veil of her anger was (mostly) lifted, revealing to her that evil lurks not just within Lordaeron, but in the world on whole, and while the reclamation of Lordaeron remains a noble --if not futile-- task, there are greater evils to be purged. Cassius Palenix History is wont to repeat itself, as Justine discovered firsthand. The Scarlet sect she remained part of was taken over by insurgents, and in fighting against them she was arrested and imprisoned, slated for execution just as soon as the remaining ranks of Scarlet members were indoctrinated under a new leadership: that of Cassius Palenix. Or so it was assumed. Whilst in prison, Justine was freed by a Scarlet brother who realised the corruption slowly spreading through the ranks. He suspected a coup attempt made by a dreadlord, and his suspicions were confirmed soon after freeing the companions of Cassius, who had also been captured and locked away. Together as a group they wandered the catacombs in search of answers, and came across a party of Scarlet insurgents, quickly dispatched with ruthless efficiency, until their travels led them to a chamber where a dreadlord and his warlock servants resided. The dreadlord had the true Cassius locked away in one of two rooms, and they were told to decide which room it was. Instead, Justine hefted her mace and, with a blessing from the Light, hurled it across the room to shatter a sphere which contained the essence of the dreadlord and its minions. The demons were immediately dispersed, and the rooms searched; revealing the true Cassius locked away and in a state of unconsciousness. Meanwhile, to the southern kingdom of Stormwind, the false Cassius was beginning to stir trouble in Duskwood to soften it for an invasion, leading to his arrest by the Sovereign Order, Church of Holy Light, and Silver Hand Chapter. He eventually vanished whilst in captivity and has been assumed dead until Justine's arrival, bearing word of events to the north. Relevant Information The Third War The Scarlet Crusade Conflict at the Pass Category:Characters Category:Order of the Silver Hand Category:Scarlet Crusade Category:Lordaeronian